Saudi crown prince: Relationship with US built on trust and strategic partnership

DUBAI: Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman delivered his first address in the United States on Thursday at the inaugural KSA – USA Partnership event dinner in Washington.
Hosted by the Saudi embassy, the dinner was a celebration of the Saudi-US bilateral security relationship over the past 70 years.
“Saudis and Americans have trained together and fought together to confront shared threats and to defend common interests,” the Crown Prince said.
“Our relationship with the United States is fundamental to security in the Middle East, and we are grateful for your support in building a better future together.”
The crown prince, who has been on a royal visit, met with US President Donald Trump on Tuesday at the White House where they hailed the historic link between the two nations as well as investment deals worth billions of dollars struck by the two nations as Saudi Arabia embarks on Saudi Vision 2030, a massive set of programs aimed at reforming the country.
“My own brother and our Ambassador to the United States experienced this first-hand as a pilot training with the US Air Force. He often reminds me that policy may be made in Riyadh and Washington, but it is in training and then in battle where trust is built, where friendships are formed, and where unbreakable ties are forged,” Prince Salman said.
Ambassador to the US, Prince Khalid bin Salman, commemorated the historic American and Saudi Arabian leaders of the past who further reinforced the foundations of the alliance between our two nations.
The Saudi envoy said the strong links between the Kingdom and the US were “a force of good, a force for peace, for stability, for international order, and economic prosperity.”
“Just as America is, and always will be, the land of the free and the home of the brave- the Kingdom has been the city upon a hill for the region; a leader in the Muslim and Arab world,” he said.
During his remarks, the crown prince gave detailed examples of the ways in which Vision 2030 is currently modernizing Saudi Arabia, and providing future opportunities for continued strategic collaboration between the two nations beyond defense cooperation.
High-level speakers, including Jeb Bush, Dick Cheney, Colin Powell and James Baker where also present at the event, as well as former Saudi ambassador to the US, Prince Bandar bin Sultan.
Former president George Bush and General Norman Schwarzkopf Jr. were honored with KSA-USA partnership awards for outstanding leadership, a recognition of their roles in building strategic partnerships during and after the Gulf War. Senator John McCain was also honored for his leadership and service.

The six-day celebration of cinema is organized by the Saudi Arabian Society for Culture and Arts

The Sharqiah Season, the first of 11 Saudi seasons of entertainment, will run until the end of the month

Updated 21 March 2019

HALA TASHKANDI

March 21, 2019 12:35

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DHAHRAN: As part of Sharqiah Season in the Eastern Province, the fifth Saudi Film Festival will feature Oscar winner Cuba Gooding Jr. and Indian superstar Salman Khan.
The six-day celebration of cinema is organized by the Saudi Arabian Society for Culture and Arts (SASCA) in partnership with the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra).
Khan recently announced in a video message that he will visit Ithra on Sunday as a guest of the film festival.
“Hello Saudi Arabia, assalamu alaikum,” he said in the video. “See you at Ithra on the 24th of March, InshaAllah.”
The actor is best known for his performances in blockbuster Hindi flicks such as “Bajrangi Bhaijaan”, “Ek Tha Tiger” and its sequel “Tiger Zinda Hai.”
In “An Evening with the Stars,” Khan will talk about his lengthy Bollywood career as both a film star and a producer.
He has starred in more than 80 Bollywood films, and has produced more than 30 via his production company Salman Khan Films.
On Monday, Gooding Jr. will take to the stage to discuss his 30 years of experience as an actor.
The American is best known for his performances in “Jerry Maguire”, “A Few Good Men” and “Men of Honor.”
Gooding Jr. has played more than 85 roles over the course of his career. He won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Rod Tidwell in the 1996 film “Jerry Maguire.”
Tickets to both events, as well as for the film festival as a whole, are available on Ithra’s website.
The Sharqiah Season, the first of 11 Saudi seasons of entertainment, will run until the end of the month, with more than 83 activities in nine cities.